LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine University lacrosse team returns to Owsley B. Frazier Stadium on Saturday to host No. 15 Fairfield in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) matchup at 1 p.m.
The Knights will be playing at home for the first time in four weeks having played at Dartmouth, Michigan and Ohio State since hosting Loyola on March 3.
The Knights are still looking for their first official ECAC victory of the season with previous ECAC losses to Loyola and Ohio State. (Bellarmine's victory over Michigan did not count in the conference standings because 2012 is the Wolverine's transitional year into the league.)
Fairfield comes in with an overall record of 8-1 and 1-0 mark in ECAC play, having defeated Hobart 17-12 last week. Despite being league rivals, Bellarmine and Fairfield have had no common opponents so far this season.
The Knights are 3-3 overall and own victories over Mercer and Dartmouth along with their triumph at Michigan. Bellarmine's lone out of conference loss was a narrow 9-8 decision in their season opener to Robert Morris.
The only loss on Fairfield's 2012 season was to No. 17 Colgate. However, the Stags have had several close calls this year, playing (and winning) three overtime games: Bryant (9-8 in 2 OT), Hofstra (10-9 in 3 OT), and Maryland-Baltimore County (10-9).
Bellarmine and Fairfield are both being led in scoring by their respective “No. 44s.”
Colton Clark, who wears jersey No. 44 for Bellarmine, leads the Knights with 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists). For the Stags, John Snellman—a 6-3 attack who also wears No. 44—leads the Fairfield offense with 27 points (24 goals, 3 assists).
One phase of the game on Saturday that will bear close attention is the face-off. The Stags are ranked fourth in the nation with a win percentage of almost 61 percent. Meanwhile, Bellarmine's face-off specialist
Andrew Bulgarelli has been quite impressive in his last three outings, winning 40 of 63 for 63.5 percent.
Saturday's game also will be homecoming of sorts for Fairfield assistant coach Tony Vallance. Now in his fifth year with the Stags, Vallance served previously on the Bellarmine lacrosse coaching staff.
